See larger image Seriously...I'm Kidding (Kindle Edition) By (author) Ellen DeGeneres List Price: $12.99 USD Release date October 4, 2011.

My Kindle was whacked when accidentally I lost it somewhere under the covers one night and I just heard the crashing sound, with some sort of slomo (slow motion) of how it all happened… and then BAM! All of the remaining sleepiness just evaporated and realized that it was not the sound of another car crash or revving motorcycle on the highway outside my bedroom window. My Kindle was broken. Instead of sending them over to Amazon for replacement, all the logistics, blah… blah… blah… I installed Kindle for iPAD.

The above story is no way related to the book in the title post. This is the part where it comes in. I had the ebook copy of “Seriously…I’m Kidding” for a while now in Kindle for iPAD… but it was only today that I got to read it. I don’t regret not being able to read it before. Let me just say that it was just the proper time. Besides, the colorful cover is better in a tablet reader.

I knew the book will be funny. It’s by ELEEN DEGENERES for one. You see, she is Dory in the movie Finding Nemo. Remember her? Maybe not? Remember Dory, the blue fish with memory issues? Not yet? Doesn’t ring a bell perhaps. Google her okay.

BUT nothing prepared me for “funny” the Ellen way. If she’s very very funny on her TV show Ellen, just read the first chapter of this book and it just transforms to how she gets to be funny, insightful, sensible, and right back to funny. Ellen is just gifted. If there is a prodigy in being intellectually humorous, Ellen’s got it.

I wouldn’t exactly say it’s in the realm of those things you need to know that you have learned or heard in pre-school sort of book. Yes there are insights Ellen talked about that if I’ll think about are basic life skills that were taken for granted but it was presented in a point of view of the writer without becoming too preachy. She talked (or should I say wrote or presented) about her life as a parallelism of these insights and yet did not alienated her audience. There are people who talk a lot about themselves, exempts the people around them, and becomes “me, myself, and I” moments. Where the host (or writer for this matter), would be pretending to have guests, who in the end were mere backgrounds. This book also made me prove on thing. There is someone, somewhere, with blue eyes and popular who also thinks of crazy everyday life like the rest of the general global population.

Seriously…I’m Kidding is about Ellen and yet not just about her. The book was written in the most casual way as if I hear Ellen is reading it to me as I read it. If other readers would react in same way I laughed (yes and loudly at that), responded, and wondered, then it proves not Ellen’s gift as a writer, but Ellen’s gift to influence her audience. The connection and chemistry that she has with her audience prove how this influencing skill is at work. There are other very good writers, but now everyone can be such a good author.

Buy Seriously…I’m Kidding. Read it. Keep it, and read it again. Seriously. I’m not kidding.

See larger image PS, I Love You (Kindle Edition) By (author) Cecelia Ahern List Price: $4.95 USD Release date February 3, 2004.

This February, on a valentine month, I’d like to share one of the most heart warming books I’ve read. This is P.S.I Love You by an Irish writer, Cecelia Ahern.

Since the sentimental me shed a tear reading The Notebook by Nicholas Sparks, P.S. I Love You will also be in my list of most romantic novels. Why will I not pick up the book from that shelf in Fully Booked? Gerard Butler is on the cover AND that is enough motive as many of you will agree. Right?

This novel had been brought to screen with Hillary Swank and Gerard Butler as Holly and David, the main perpetrators – Holly as the recent widow and Gerry the husband who left her with a series of letters.

Gerry knew that his illness will one day take his life and this made him plan for a series of letters that Holly will have to read in various times after he died. The first letter was opened during Holly’s birthday up until she had moved on. It’s as if he has guided her every step into recovering from the loss of a husband.

The sweetest things for me are the parts when Gerry’s messages were revealed. In this time where electronic communication is the norm, seldom do we send or receive letters… well except for bills and statements of account. I mean REAL letters from loved ones. Those squiggly letters, sometimes with slashes and corrections at that, and the thought and effort put into writing, going to a post office; taking time to send the letters…. it’s just so sentimental.

With that high expectation from such a good book, I watched the movie and was disappointed for the lack of loyalty to the book. The storyline is there but in the movie, the letters were replaced by modern day method like recorded message,  I mean, “P.S.” or “post script” means “written after” so it’s supposed to be in a letter. I like the actors in the movie and the acting were good the big but there points to a fact that novels become popular for the story that producers take notice of them to be made into a movie. So why change those the book? Look at the success of Twilight saga, they make sure to stick closely to how it was written.

I recommend reading P.S. I Love You. It’s a must read and you’ll surely appreciate life more after reading it. To end, one quote from the book is Gerry’s 7^th letter to Holly:

“Shoot for moon, and if you miss, you’ll still be among the stars. Promise me you will find a job you love this time! P.S. I love you…”

Publisher: Avon Books (www.avonbooks.com)

The Chicago Stars is a professional US football team where the heroes of this series are part of either as players or in its management. In this series the heroes, being professional football players, are well paid, popular, and have a picture of physical strength and endurance. The heroines despite their frail physique have strong characters to match the hard headed jocks.

The common characteristic that I found among the jocks is that they have very strong and stubborn characters with dark or suppressed past that when love hits then, they were either too afraid or proud to admit it. Despite having all the luxuries in life of financially rewarding career where women come in swarms, the Chicago Stars jocks found love in the most unexpected places, time, and type of women.

More than anything, reading her work had brought me to laughter, tears, and myriad of emotions as the characters come alive in every page. Page One of Natural born Charmer had me laughing, literally.

1)  It Had To Be You

Bringing a book around with a pink bra as cover is somewhat difficult in this part of the globe where most people as still conservative in nature. But as they say, “Don’t judge the book by it’s cover,”   also applies to Phoebe Sommerville who appears to be all beauty and nothing more becomes the new owner of Chicago Stars. Unravel how Her Hotness demystify the unknown world of football under the hands of its head coach His Highness, Dan Calebow.

2)  Heaven, Texas

This is the story of Bobby Tom Denton and Gracie Snow. Another unlikely pair of a playboy and  plain old, well, Gracie… yet they don’t realize they are just perfect for each other. Bobby Tom is done with football and is now entering the world of showbiz with much apprehensions. Here comes Gracie in the picture to make sure Bobby Tom keeps his commitment in finishing the movie.

3) Nobody’s Baby But Mine

When I had the SEP fever, this book was unavailable in the bookstores. Suffice to say that in order to quench my thirst for an SEP novel, this is the first ebook I had ever bought. Hence, Nobody’s Baby But Mine opened me to the world of digital books through Mobipocket at that time.

4) Dream a Little Dream

The name Gabe Bonner rings a bell as Cal Bonner’s brother from Nobody’s Baby But Mine. As he is trying to start anew, Rachel Stone keeps popping into his life and eventually into his heart.

5) This Heart of Mine

My favorite female character in the Chicago Series is Molly Sommerville. She is familiar as the younger sister of Phoebe in the first book of this series, “It Had to be You.” See how her brief involvement with none other than the star quarterback of Chicago Stars’ Kevin Tucker will change her life forever.

6)  Match Me If You Can

Heath Champion, Kevin Tucker’s agent, while Annabele Granger is Molly Sommerville’s friend. Remember Kevin and Molly? They are the pair from “This Heart of Mine.” Now it’s Heath and Annabele’s story that brings us a story of two people who are highly driven and wants nothing but success.

7) Natural Born Charmer

The first book in this series that I read was Natural Born Charmer. Before this, I am not aware of Susan Elizabeth Phillips (SEP) as I was not very much into romance novels before. But after one book, now I am a “believer” of SEP. Her novel’s plot are so uncomplicated and realistic that anyone can easily relate to.

I hope that just like me, you will enjoy the Chicago Stars series. Though I had re-read most of them, I had learned to appreciate the uniqueness of the characters and how their conflicting characters end up being the unexpected couples. One thing for sure is how at the end of the day, love conquers all.